American actor who famously voiced John Redcorn in the long-running animated series King of the Hill, Jonathan Joss, was tragically killed in a shooting on Sunday evening in San Antonio, Texas, according to local authorities.
San Antonio Police confirmed that a suspect, 56-year-old Sigfredo Alvarez Ceja, has been arrested and charged with murder in connection with the incident.
Officers responded to a call on Dorsey Drive at approximately 7 p.m. and found the actor, whose full legal name was Jonathan Joss Gonzales, lying near the road after being shot. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by police until EMS arrived, Joss, 59, was pronounced dead at the scene.
While investigators have yet to disclose a motive for the killing, the department stated on Monday that the homicide division is actively working on the case.
“Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that … Mr. Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation,” San Antonio Police shared via X.
However, Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, offered a starkly different perspective in a heartfelt social media post, asserting that the shooting was a targeted act of homophobia, and occurred outside the couple’s former residence.
According to Kern de Gonzales, the couple had experienced repeated harassment while living at that home.
“We were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship,” he wrote. “Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.”
He said the two had returned to the residence to check their mail when they saw something disturbing, “the skull of their dog and the dog’s harness placed out front.” The sight triggered an emotional response.
“We were yelling and crying,” he wrote. At that moment, a man reportedly approached and hurled homophobic slurs at them before opening fire.
“Jonathan and I had no weapons. We were not threatening anyone. We were grieving. We were standing side by side. When the man, fired Jonathan pushed me out of the way. He saved my life,” Kern de Gonzales wrote.
Joss lent his voice to John Redcorn, an eccentric New Age healer, in seasons 2 through 13 of the King of the Hill series. The character was often addressed formally as “Mr. Redcorn” or by his full name.
With Hulu set to launch a revival of the show in August, a recently released credits sequence featured John Redcorn making an appearance in his iconic tan Jeep.
Outside of King of the Hill, Joss was also known for his role as Ken Hotate in NBC’s Parks and Recreation, and he appeared in the TV series Tulsa King and the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven.
His last credited role was in 2023, voicing a character in the video game Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty.
Earlier this year, the couple faced another tragedy when their San Antonio home was destroyed in a January fire that also killed three of their dogs. A fundraiser launched afterward collected over $10,000 in donations. At the time, Joss told local news he was unemployed.
In his social media post, Kern de Gonzales also alleged that prior to the fire, the couple had reported threats from neighbors who had expressed intent to damage their property.
